Spirit-level.



PATENTED rmy, 1908. c. T. RIDGELY. SPIRIT LEVEL. APPLIOAjfIOI FILED.JULY 16, 1906.

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UNITED sTAr rs ATENT OFFICE CHARLES T. RIDGELY, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO,ASSIGNOR TO THE STANDARD TRIMMER COMPANY, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, ACORPORATION OF OHIO.

SPIRIT-LE VE L.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented ApriI 7, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES T. RIDGELY, a citizen of the Unite d States,residing at Springfield, in the county of Clark and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and use ful Improvements in Spirit-Levels, of whichthe following is a specification, reference being had therein to the.accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to spirit-levels, and more particularly to thatclass of levels which are adapted to be mounted in or secured to a straightedge or trimmer board, and has for its object the production of alevel of this character which can be used either vertically orhorizontally, which can be easily adjusted to maintain it in a true p:sition, and which can, if desired, be removed from the straight-edge.

With these objects in view my invention consists in the constructionhereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a straight edgehaving a spirit-level constructed in accordance with my inventionattached thereto; Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken through thecasing and showing the'spirit-level in elevation; Fig. 3 is a plan viewof the spirit-level with the face plate removed; Fig. 4 shows amodification of the spirit-level which is adapted to be removablyattached to the straightedge; and Fig. 5 is a plan view of thestraightedge provided with the securing plate adapted to receive thelevel shown in Fig. 4.

In carrying out my invention I provide a casing 1 which may be of anysuitable construction and material, but which, in the form shown in thedrawings, consists of a brass casting having its inner face turned downto form a true cylindrical surface and having'a central aperture 5 inthe bottom thereof which is adapted to receive a pivot lug 6 on one sideof the spirit-level 7. The level 7 is the usual spirit-level and ismounted in a block 8, of brass or other suitable material, having itsends rounded to conform to an arc of the circle formed by thecylindrical sides of the casing 1. The outer face of the block 8 isrecessed at its opposite ends, as shown at 9, to receive the edge of theface plate, as will be hereinafter described.

Near the bottom of the cylindrical casing 1 and preferably formedintegral therewith is a lug 10 havingvertical and horizontalscrew-threaded passages 11 adapted to receive the screws 12 which, inturn, are adapted to engage the opposite ends of the block 8 containingthe spirit-level when the same is in its vertical and. horizontalpositions, respectively. These screws are provided with suitable meansfor moving the same, such as the usual screw-driver slot, as shown at 12and, by adjusting these screws relatively to the casing, thespirit-level can be adjusted to maintain the same in a preferably trueposition. A face plate 13 which is preferably in the form of a flatmetal ring, the inner diameter of which is less than the diameter of thecylindrical casing 1, is secured to said casing by means of screws 14engaging lugs 15 on the casing and extending through the same into thebody of the trimmer board 4 for securing the casing to the same. I Theinner diameter of this ring being less than the inner diameter of thecasing 1 and consequently less than the length of the block 8, causesthe ring to extend in beyond the edge of the casing and engage therecessed ends 9 of the block, thereby retaining the same within thecasing and allowing it to turn freely on the pivot 6 within the limitsof the stop screws 12. The face plate 13 is provided for a ortion of itslength with a scale 16 giving tie degree of inclination from zero to 90degrees and being so located relatively to the level and the stop screws12 that when the block carrying the spirit-level is in vertical ositionthe center mark 17 on said block wi l register with the zero indicationon the scale and when the same is in a true horizontal position the saidmark will register with the 90 degree indication on said scale.

In order to provide a level of this character which can be readilyattached to and removed from a straight-edge or trimmer board, I employthe spirit-level and its casing as hereinbefore described and providelugs 18 on the bottom of the casing, and a separate base plate 19 issecured to the straight-edge 4. In this base plate are recesses 20adapted to register with the lug 18, the recesses 20 being of such asize that the lugs 18 fit tightly therein and serve to retain the casing1 firmly upon the face of the straight-edge.

In the first described construction it is sometimes desirable to securethe face plate to the casing proper in such a manner that the casing canbe easily removed from the straight-edge Without removing the face platefrom the casing. In order to accomplish this I secure the face plate tothe casing y means of pins 21 driven through the face plate into thecasing thereby securing the face plate to the casing independently ofthe screws 14.

The operation of the device is obvious from the foregoing description.The screws 12, carried by the casing, are adjusted to limit the movementof the block 8 carrying the spirit-level 17 so that when the block is inengagement with one of said screws, it

will be in a true horizontal position when the straight-edge is in avertical position, and when the block is in engagement with the otherscrew, it will be in a true horizontal position with the straight-edgelikewise in a horizontal position. When it is desired to obtain anyangle of inclination, the block is turned to bring the pointer 17 on thesame to register with the proper angle indication on the scale 16, and,when the spirit-level indicates a true level, the straight-edge willhave assumed the desired angle.

While I have described my invention in detail, I wish it be distinctlyunderstood that the same is not limited to the details of constructionherein set forth, as the same may be varied without departing from theprinciple of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a straight-edge, of a casing carried by saidstraightedge and having a central aperture, an elongated block carryinga spirit-level, a pivot lug centrally arranged on said block and looselymounted in the aperture in said casing, a face plate for said casingextending over the ends of said block to retain said pivot lug withinsaid aperture, and a scale on said face plate, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination, with a straight-edge, of a cylindrical casing,having a central bearing aperture in the bottom thereof, an elongatedblock carrying a spirit-level, a centrally arranged pivot lug on oneside of said block and engaging said bearing aperture, the ends of saidblock being rounded to conform to the sides of said casing, said blockhaving its face recessed at the ends thereof, and a face plate having acentral opening of less diameter than said casing and adapted to besecured to said casing and to engage the recessed ends of said block,substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a straight-edge, of a casing, a spirit-levelpivotally mounted therein and adapted to move freely about its pivotalcenter, a lug formed on the inner wall of said casing, and adjustablemeans carried by said lug for limiting the movement of said spirit-levelin either direction, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with a straight-edge, of a casing, a spirit-levelpivotaily mounted in said casing, a lugformed on the inner wall of saidcasing, apertures through said lug arranged at right angles to eachother, and screws mounted in said apertures to limit the movement ofsaid spirit-level, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with a straight-edge, a casing, and a spirit-levelpivotally mounted within said casing of cooperating members carried bysaid straight-edge and said casing and adapted to engage one with theother to detachably connect the casing to the straighted e.

6. The combination, with a straight-edge provided with a socket, of acasing provided with a lug adapted to engage said socket and secure saidcasing to said straight-edge and a spirit level pivotally mounted insaid casing.

7. The combination, with a straight-edge having a' plurality of recessestherein, of a casing having a central bearing aperture and provided withlugs adapted to frictionally engage said recesses, and a spirit-levelmounted in said casing and having a central pivot lug adapted to engagethe aperture therein, substantially as described.

8. The combination, with a straight-edge and an apertured plate securedthereto, of a casing having a lug adapted to frictionally engage theaperture in said plate, and a spirit level pivotally mounted in saidcasing.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES T. RIDGELY.

Witnesses:

F. M. HAGAN, EDWARD F. REED.

